Improvement in fiee-peoof safes



JOSEPH L. HALL, OFOINO'INNATI, OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 80,728, dated Augen 4, 186s.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-PROOF SAFES.

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TO ALL WHOMIT. MAY CONCERN:

Be it knownthat I, JOSEPH L. HALL, oi' Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Firc-Proof Safes, of which the following is a full and clear description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

The nature of my improvement in fire-proof safes.consists in embeddingr glass jars, or other vessels containing Vwater or'othe'r suitable liquid, within the concrete, hydraulic cement, or otherfsuitable filling between the inner and outer casing of safes, when they vare made of twoinetalliccases, tbe one'within the other; and also to thc application of L-shap'ed angle-iron to all the exterior angles of the casings of'safes.

Figure is a perspective of my improved safe, having-part of the outer casing removed.A

`Figure 2 is an elevation of thesame, having the door removed.

Figure 3 lis a vertical section of a portion of the same, showing the jars, orv other anti-corrosive vessels, embedded in the concrete, hydraulic, or otherccment, between the inner and outer casings of the safe.

A represents the outer casing of the firc-proof safe, and consists of one or more plates of iron or other suitablemetal. l

In order to render the case more thanusually'stronand, at the same time, steam-tight externally, so as to prevent lthe case from bcing injured by falling, in ease of fire, or by heavy timbers falling on it, and also to keep the steam from escaping at the joints externally, I applyexternally, at the corners, the metal strips or bars a, as usual, and then over these I place the angle-irons L, and rivet the whole firmly to the case, as shown clearly in tig. 8.' v A B is the inner metallic orirron easing of the safe, secured to the front door-frame, as shown in my former Vpatent at b. It is'removed several inches from the inside faces of the outer casing A, The space intervening between the inner and outer casing's, B and A, respectively, is iilled with hydraulic or other cement, 0having embedded in it the jars, c, or vessels of glass or other anti-corrosive -material. The jars or vessels are filled` with water, orvothcr suitable liquid, and the mouthsof the jars or vessels are closed with. cork, or other material, provided with small perforations. Said p'eriorations are closed with glue or 'mucilage, and further protected by metallic caps or perforated covers. The jai-sor vessels C, having been filled with water or other desirable liquid, are embeddcd,lone after the other, in the plastic c`oncrcte,-hydra'ulic, or other cement, as it is poured, in a thin, liquid state, between the casings A and B ofthe safe, and embedding them in their positions firmly.

The main Object` in embedding reservoirs of water within the body of the safe is to insure that protection to the contents, especially to papers, books, and other valuable contents thereof, which are, by the application' i of heat, generally so cbarre'd'as to renderthcrn illegible and Worthless, by such an arrangement of parts thatA Asteam generated in thejars or vessels shall permeate th'c cement, hydraulic or other, between thejars or vessels c and the inner casing B, thence, through the small'pcrforations, d, in the inner casing, into the receptacle of valuables and bookscontained therein, which, being kept in a vmoist condition, will not be injured, as they otherwise would be, in safes oi` the usual plan of construction. In case of a large fire, the steam generated by the heat would escapefrom the jars or vessels, and have so dampcning an effect on the cement surrounding the jars as to greatly lessen the intensity of heat, protecting the contcntsof the safe. Should the safe be suddenly precipitated from its position on an upper floor to the ground or cellar, or should the walls fall upon it, the

jars or vesselsnarc not liable to receive injury, since they'are rmly embedded inthe cement.v At the same time, the L-shaped angle-iron will secure the `corners of4 the'safe more rigidly than the old method, and effectually preventing the breaking open at the angles of the safe when it falls some distance; .and also, are a great obstacle to the escape of steam, confining it to the interior of the safe, whereit subserves the objective purpose. The advantage arising from thoroughly embedding the jars or vessels containing Water in the concrete is, that a large amount oi' water constituting the'concrcte,wi1l lin case of great heat, be given olf, and unite with the steam from the jars, thus adding to the security very largely 'over those safes now constructed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Arranging a series of jars or other anti-corrosive vessels, lC, containing water, or other suitable liquid, when the same are embedded in concrete, hydraulic or other cement, between the inner and outer casings, B and A, respectively, of lire-proof safes, substantially as and for the purpose shown and specified.

2. The combination, in the construction of safes, of the case A, bars a, and the angle-irons L, when arranged as described. I

3. The perforated lining B, to vpermit the escape of the'steam to the interior of the safe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH L. HALL. Witnesses:

G. L. FISHER, A. M. ATEN. 

